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Brazil to invest $75 million in highway through Amazon and unveils environmental protection plan

SAO PAULO (AP) —Brazil’sgovernment announced Wednesday that it will invest $75 million in theBR-319 highwaycutting through the Amazon rainforest, a project environmentalists say could accelerate deforestation and worsen climate change.

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President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva's administration simultaneously announced an environmental protection plan to safeguard the forest from potential impacts from the highway, which connects the northern states of Amazonas and Rondonia with the rest of Brazil.

“From an environmental standpoint, it will be the most modern road in the world,”Lulasaid during a ceremony in Amazonas state, accompanied by Environment Minister João Paulo Capobianco.

“Any foreigner who comes here to weigh in on the climate issue, we will show what we’ve done here,” Lula said.

The BR-319 highway was inaugurated in 1976 but remains largely unpaved. It cuts through the Amazon rainforest and reaches Manaus, the Amazon’s largest city, with more than 2 million residents. The road runs alongside the Madeira River — one of the Amazon River’s main tributaries thathas suffered from droughtsthat disrupt cargo transport.

In Wednesday's ceremony in Iranduba, a city in Amazonas about 23 miles (37 kilometers) from Manaus, the Brazilian government also announced local investments including projects bystate-run oil company Petrobrasand its subsidiary Transpetro in Amazonas. Lula was accompanied by local politicians who are expected to support his campaign for reelection to a fourth, nonconsecutive term in October.

Government unveils protection measures

Officials showed a video outlining environmental protection measures for the highway, including environmental monitoring of a 50‑kilometer-wide (31-mile-wide) strip on each side of the road along its entire length. They said the highway requires a stronger state presence since it runs through one of the rainforest's most sensitive areas.

The government also pledged to install inspection checkpoints, enforcement agency bases and to create new conservation units. It said it would hire a private company in 2028 to support enforcement.

On Tuesday, Lula visited a section of the highway, posing with machinery and workers, and appearing to operate equipment as work continued on the dirt road.

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Environmental groups, including the Climate Observatory, have challenged the project in court. In 2024, Climate Observatory filed a lawsuit to overturn the 2022 preliminary license for paving the BR-319 highway, arguing that officials ignored technical warnings from Brazil’s environmental agency and failed to require key safeguards, such as Indigenous consultation and climate impact studies.

Subsequent legal challenges briefly halted a related bidding process in April, but a higher court soon overturned the suspension.

Minister George Santoro said Wednesday that the entire highway will be under contract and undergoing work by the end of June.

Amazon roads linked to deforestation

The Amazon, the world’s largest rainforest, plays a critical role in regulating the global climate. The road cuts through one of the biome’s most well-preserved regions, home to dozens of protected areas and Indigenous territories.

Scientific research has shown that openingnew roads in the rainforestdrives deforestation, spurring the spread of illegal side roads. A 2014 study published in the journal Biological Conservation found that 95% of forest clearing occurs within 5.5 kilometers (3.4 miles) of roads. For every 1 kilometer (0.6 miles) of official road, there are roughly 3 kilometers (1.9 miles) of unofficial roads.

Marina Silva, a former environment minister in Lula’s administration, said during a Senate hearing last year that deforestation in the BR-319 area surged immediately after roadworks were announced. Sheresigned in Aprilto run for Congress.

Marcio Astrini, executive director of Climate Observatory, said the government is bypassing due process in implementing the measures to safeguard environmental protections. A plan to prevent deforestation along the highway, he said, should have been discussed, approved and implemented before paving began — not at the same time as is happening now.

“Just the simple announcement under (former President Jair) Bolsonaro's government that the road would be rebuilt nearly doubled land grabbing and deforestation in the area. Laying asphalt there creates another incentive,” Astrini said. “If there are no protection measures in place, it just becomes yet another driver of deforestation.”

The Associated Press’ climate and environmental coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP’sstandardsfor working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas atAP.org.

Brazil to invest $75 million in highway through Amazon and unveils environmental protection plan

SAO PAULO (AP) —Brazil’sgovernment announced Wednesday that it will invest $75 million in theBR-319 highwaycutting through the Amazon r...
Trump will send Americans exposed to Ebola while abroad to a new facility in Kenya

NEW YORK (AP) — President Donald Trump's administration is planning to send Americans who areexposed to Ebola while abroadto a new facility in Kenya instead of flying them to the United States, an administration official said Wednesday.

Associated Press President Donald Trump, next to Secretary of State Marco Rubio, speaks during a Cabinet meeting at the White House, Wednesday, May 27, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin) Workers load World Health Organization (WHO) emergency supplies onto a United Nations plane in Nairobi, Kenya, Wednesday, May 20, 2026, headed for Congo to combat the Ebola outbreak in Ituri province. (AP Photo/Andrew Kasuku) President Donald Trump speaks during a Cabinet meeting at the White House, Wednesday, May 27, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin) President Donald Trump speaks during a Cabinet meeting at the White House, Wednesday, May 27, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin) Secretary of State Marco Rubio attends a Cabinet meeting at the White House, Wednesday, May 27, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

Trump

The quarantine and treatment center being set up by the Departments of Defense, State and Health and Human Services will be designed for Ebola patients who need to get out of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and receive care quickly, said the official, who insisted on anonymity to share the Republican administration’s plans. The person said the plan would help patients avoid an hourslong medical evacuation to the U.S.

It was unclear where in Kenya the new facility will be built or whether the Kenyan government has signed off on the plan.

The official said the facility will be able to care for the full spectrum of Ebola,a rare but severe diseasethat is often fatal in people. But the official said people may be transported elsewhere for more advanced care as appropriate.

Kenya’s health minister confirmed officials there were talking with the U.S. about “preparedness and response mechanisms for Ebola” but didn’t address whether the country would establish a treatment facility for Americans.

“Any arrangements regarding international health cooperation will be guided by Kenya’s national laws, public health regulations, biosafety and biosecurity standards, and the government’s responsibility to safeguard the health and welfare of Kenyans,” Health Minister Aden Duale said in a statement.

For decades, medical experts have suggested moving patients suffering from Ebola and similar illnesses as little as possible in case their condition worsens, said Dr. Ali Khan, the public health college dean at the University of Nebraska Medical Center. But, he added, the quality of care must be equivalent to what someone would receive in American facilities.

“You’ve got to make sure the patient gets the best quality care, and you need to ensure excellent infection control,” said Khan, who earlier in his career led international responses to Ebola and other outbreaks for the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Dr. Craig Spencer, a public health professor and emergency medicine doctor at Brown University who survived Ebola in 2014, said he doesn’t expect the facility in Kenya to provide the same quality of care that dedicated facilities in the United States do. He said refusing to consider bringing American Ebola patients home for treatment is “a moral abdication of what this country owes its own.”

An earlier outbreak

During a massive Ebola outbreak in west Africa in 2014 and 2015, more than a half dozen infected Americans were brought back to the United States. That experience prompted the establishment of a U.S. network of quarantine and isolation facilities across the country.

But during that earlier outbreak, Trump, then a businessman and reality TV star, repeatedly criticized then-President Barack Obama, a Democrat, for bringing infected Americans home for care.

“The U.S. cannot allow EBOLA infected people back. People that go to far away places to help out are great — but must suffer the consequences!” he wrote in a 2014 tweet.

He also suggested a plan similar to the one described to the AP by the administration official: “Treat them, at the highest level, over there,” Trump wrote in July 2014.

During a Cabinet meeting on Wednesday, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the State Department and other agencies were working “very, very hard to contain this crisis to the countries where it’s currently located, particularly the Democratic Republic of the Congo.”

“We cannot and will not allow any cases of Ebola to enter the United States,” he said.

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Americans who've been exposed to Ebola

Earlier this month, an American doctor working in Congo tested positive for Ebola and was sent to Germany for medical care. Serge, a Christian missionary organization, identified him as Dr. Peter Stafford. Stafford’s wife and four children did not have symptoms but also were flown to Germany and placed in isolation at Berlin’s Charite University Hospital.

On Wednesday, the hospital said the patient was in stable condition.

“The viral load measured in the patient has dropped very, very rapidly over the course of the week," likely thanks to antiviral therapy, Dr. Leif Erik Sander, director of the hospital’s infectious diseases department, told reporters.

Another American medical missionary, Dr. Patrick LaRochelle, was transported to the Czech Republic for isolation after he was exposed to Ebola, though he did not have any symptoms, according to the missionary organization.

Health authorities in Congo have been struggling to contain the outbreak, which the World Health Organization has said is outpacing them.

The number of suspected Ebola cases in eastern Congo is nearing 1,000, with at least 220 suspected deaths. Congo’s health ministry on Tuesday said 101 cases have been confirmed and it's looking into more than 3,000 possible contacts.

Challenges include the threat of armed groups in eastern Congo, a large number ofdisplaced people and poor infrastructure.

The Wall Street Journal was first to report the Trump administration's plan for the Kenya facility.

US officials expand airport screening

Meanwhile, officials have been expanding the number of U.S. airports where CDC staffers are screening and monitoring incoming passengers from outbreak countries. Enhanced screenings began last week at Washington Dulles International Airport and Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. CDC staff began screenings at George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston this week, and are being dispatched to start screenings Friday at New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport.

The CDC’s acting director, Jay Bhattacharya, sent an email Monday to CDC employees asking for volunteers from across the agency to work the screening stations. CDC veterans say it’s not unusual to see a call for volunteers for staffing major epidemic responses.

The government also has temporarily banned the entry of people without U.S. passports, as well as U.S. green-card holders, who have visited Congo, Uganda or South Sudan in the last 21 days.

AP journalists Evelyne Musambi in Nairobi, Julie Walker in New York and Kerstin Sopke in Berlin contributed to this report.

The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Department of Science Education and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content.

Trump will send Americans exposed to Ebola while abroad to a new facility in Kenya

NEW YORK (AP) — President Donald Trump's administration is planning to send Americans who areexposed to Ebola while abroadto a new ...
Iran

What to know about the Iran war today:President Trumpconvened his Cabineton Wednesday, where he discussed negotiations over the Iran war. Mr. Trump said Iran was "negotiating on fumes," before adding, "Maybe we have to go back and finish it, maybe we don't." He also pushed for Gulf countries like Qatar and Saudi Arabia to sign on to the Abraham Accords to normalize relations with Israel.A senior official with Iran's powerful Revolutionary Guard said renewed fighting with the U.S. seems unlikely but, just as Mr. Trump has done, he stressed his country is prepared for any outcome as negotiations continue.Israeli strikes killed more than 30 people on Tuesday, Lebanese officials said, as Israel stepped up attacks on Hezbollah. Israel also called for evacuations in and around Tyre before launching strikes there on Wednesday. U.S. missile supply could take 3 years or more to replenish, nonpartisan research group says

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The U.S. missile supply depleted by the war with Iran could take three or more years to replace,according to the U.S. Center for Strategic and International Studies, a nonpartisan think tank.

While some missiles could take only a year or two to replace, such as precision strike missiles and joint air-to-surface standoff missiles, other more advanced weaponry could take much longer, according to the study released Wednesday.

Patriot missiles, of which an estimated 1,060 to 1,430 were used in the Iran attacks, could take up to mid-2029 to return to pre-war levels, the group said. Terminal high altitude area defense, or THAAD, missiles could take up until mid- to late-2029 to replace as well.

Tomahawk cruise missiles, one of the key long-range weapons used by the U.S. military, will take the longest to replace, the group said. More than 1,000 were used in the war and pre-war stockpiles may not be equaled until early 2031, the group said.

Secretary of War Pete Hegseth said only that it could take "months or years" to replace the stockpiles depleted during the war at a hearing on April 30.

Sen. Graham thinks Trump can get Saudi Arabia to join Abraham Accords, "effectively ending the Arab-Israeli conflict"

Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham, a proponent of resuming military action in Iran, said he believes President Trump can get Saudi Arabia on board with the Abraham Accords, "effectively ending the Arab-Israeli conflict."

"The biggest news out of the cabinet meeting is President Trump's determination to expand the Abraham Accords, to include Saudia (sic) Arabia making peace with Isreal (sic). This would be the biggest change in the Middle East in thousands of years, effectively ending the Arab-Israeli conflict,"Graham wrote on X.

The agreement to the Abraham Accords, which were negotiated during Mr. Trump's first term in office, would mean the normalization of relations between Saudi Arabia and Israel. Currently, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Morocco, Sudan and Kazakhstan have agreed to the pledge.

"I have been working on normalization for years, including during the Biden administration, because I know this leads to a lasting peace and a new Middle East that could become an economic powerhouse, not a powder keg," Graham wrote.

Mr. Trump said Gulf countries — such as Saudi Arabia, Qatar "and others" — agreeing to the Abraham Accords could be a condition to agreeing to an Iran peace deal.

"It'll be historic if they do it. And I think, I think they owe that to us," he said.

Israel moves evacuation line in Lebanon farther north, launches strikes on Tyre

Israel announced on Wednesday it was moving the evacuation line in Lebanon north of the Zahrani River, saying "all areas south of the river are considered combat zones, and the Defense Army does not intend to harm civilians."

Previously, the line of demarcation was about the Litani River, however, Israel launched operations north of that this week. The Litani River is about 18 miles north of the Israeli border, while the Zahrani River is about 25 miles north of the border.

The Israel Defense Forces also said it struck command centers in Tyre, about 12 miles north of the Israeli border, on Wednesday. The IDF had previouslycalled for evacuationsin the area.

There were 550 Hezbollah targets struck in Lebanon since the beginning of the week, the IDF said.

If Gulf countries don't sign Abraham Accords, Trump says he may not sign an Iran agreement

In his Cabinet meeting, President Trump said if Gulf countries don't sign onto the Abraham Accords, he may not sign a peace deal with Iran. The president also suggested this week it should be "mandatory" for more countries to sign onto the agreement as a part of any Iran deal. The Abraham Accords, established in 2020 during Trump's first term, entails agreements normalizing individual countries' relations with Israel.

"We'd like to have the countries we were talking about, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Qatar and the others … we'd like to have them join the Abraham Accords," he said. "It'll be historic if they do it. And I think, I think they owe that to us."

The United Arab Emirates is already a part of the Abraham Accords, as Mr. Trump recognized later.

U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff said Trump negotiators are "pushing" for those remaining countries to sign onto Abrahama Accords.

"I'm not sure we should make the deal if they don't sign, if you want to know the truth," Mr. Trump added.

Countries that agreed to normalize relations with Israel as a part of the Abraham Accords include the UAE, Bahrain and Kazakhstan.

Trump says "nobody's going to control" the Strait of Hormuz, threatens Oman

President Trump said "nobody's going to control" the Strait of Hormuz, when asked if he would allow a short-term deal for Iran and Oman to control it.

"The strait's going to be open to everybody," he told reporters during Wednesday's Cabinet meeting. "It's international waters."

"Nobody's going to control it," he continued. "We're going to watch over it. We'll watch over it. But nobody's going to control it. That's part of the negotiation that we have. They would like to control it. Nobody's going to control it. It's international waters. And Oman will behave just like everybody else or we'll have to blow them up. They understand that. They'll be fine."

Bessent claims oil prices will be lower than before the conflict when it ends

Speaking during a Cabinet meeting, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent claimed oil prices will be lower than before the Iran war when the conflict ends.

"Oil will be lower than pre-conflict levels when this ends," he said.

The current average for a gallon of regular gasoline is $4.46 nationwide, according to AAA.

Rubio reiterates Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon, wants a deal to be made

Secretary of State Marco Rubio repeated many of the comments President Trump has reiterated in recent weeks at a Cabinet meeting Wednesday, saying Iran cannot get a nuclear weapon and they'd prefer to negotiate a deal.

"The bottom line is Iran is never going to have a nuclear weapon and if recent events have done anything it's to remind us once again they are the world-leading sponsor of terrorism and they can never have a nuclear weapon," Rubio said. "The president's preference, your preference, is always to negotiate these things and figure out if you can have agreements. Diplomacy is always the first option and we continue to work on that."

Rubio highlighted the work of envoys Steve Witkoff, Jared Kushner and Vice President JD Vance in working toward a deal, but offered no specifics on the negotiations.

"If there is an agreement to be made, we want that to be made and I think there's been progress and interest and we will see over the next few hours and days," the secretary said. "I want to remind everybody, you (Mr. Trump) have other options available if that doesn't work."

Trump says Iran is "negotiating on fumes"

President Trump said Iran is "negotiating on fumes" and needs to make a deal, but he said the U.S. still may need to return to attacks while speaking at a Cabinet meeting at the White House.

"They want very much to make a deal," he said. "So far, they haven't gotten there, we're not satisfied with it, but we will be. We will be. Either that or we'll have to just finish the job. Their navy is gone, as I've said a thousand times, their navy is gone, their air force is gone, everything's gone. And they're negotiating on fumes. But we'll see what happens. Maybe we have to go back and finish it, maybe we don't."

"Right now, I think it looks like they want to just make a deal," he said. "I don't think they have a choice."

President Donald Trump speaks during a Cabinet meeting in the Cabinet Room of the White House in Washington, DC, on May 27, 2026.  / Credit: Kent NISHIMURA /AFP via Getty Images

Mr. Trump said Iranian leadership thought they would just wait him out because of political pressure from the midterms.

"They thought they were going to out wait me, you know," he said. "'We'll out wait him. He's got the midterms.' I don't care about the midterms. Look what happened last night. That was the prelude to the midterms."

Iranian state TV's reporting on memorandum draft is "not true," White House says

The White House has rebuffed a report by Iran's IRIB state TV network after the outlet said it had a draft of the "Islamabad Framework"memorandum of understanding, saying what Iranian state media claimed is "not true."

Iranian state TV claimed a draft of the initial framework claimed all shipping traffic would be managed by Iran, along with other points that appear contrary to the Trump administration's stated positions. The Trump administration has made it clear they won't allow Iran to control the strait or impose tolls.

"This report from Iranian controlled media is not true and the MOU they 'released' is a complete fabrication," an official White House accountwrote on X. "Nobody should believe what Iranian state media is putting out. FACTS MATTER."

109 vessels have been redirected by U.S. blockade on Strait of Hormuz

The U.S. blockade on the Strait of Hormuz has turned around 109 commercial vessels heading into or leaving ports in Iran, according to U.S. Central Command.

That total is an increase by one vessel since Tuesday's update.

Lifting the blockade on the strait has been a key condition of negotiations between the U.S. and Iran.

Iranagreed in principle to a dealover the weekend that will be a two-step process, with the immediate opening of the Strait of Hormuz in exchange for lifting the U.S. blockade, followed by negotiations on a mechanism for Iran to give up various parts of its nuclear program, the official said.

An MH-60R Sea Hawk helicopter approaches USS Delbert D. Black (DDG 119) after patrolling the Arabian Sea in support of the U.S. blockade against Iran. As of May 27, 109 commercial vessels have been redirected to ensure compliance.pic.twitter.com/Ic6btTvrpz

— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM)May 27, 2026Israel issues more warnings for Tyre, nearby residents to evacuate

Israel is issuing evacuation orders to the ancient city of Tyre in Lebanon, as well as 11 camps in the area.

Among those camps are Shabriha, Hammadiya, Jal al-Bahr, Zoqoq al-Mafdi, Al-Bass, Al-Maashouk, Burj al-Shamali, Nabaa, Al-Housh, Rashidieh and Ain Baal.

"In light of the terrorist Hezbollah's violation of the ceasefire agreement and its targeting of Israeli territory, the IDF is forced to act strongly against it," the Israel Defense Forces said. "The IDF does not intend to harm you.

"For your safety, you must evacuate your homes immediately according to thearea shown on the mapand move north of the Zahrani River."

Residents of the city of Nabatiehwere warned to evacuateearlier in the day ahead of a bombing campaign.

Oil prices drop 5% on optimism for a U.S.-Iran agreement to reopen Strait of Hormuz

Oil prices dropped Wednesday on rekindled hope of the Strait of Hormuz reopening as the U.S. and Iran appeared to be nearing an agreement to deescalate the war launched 89 days ago by the U.S. and Israel.

Brent North Sea crude, the international benchmark, fell 5% to $94.61 a barrel briefly, before rebounding slightly to trade around the $95 mark.

The main U.S. crude contract, WTI, tumbled almost 6% to trade at $89 a barrel early Wednesday.

Iran state TV says "Islamabad Framework" draft with U.S. includes reopening Strait of Hormuz, but with fees

Iran's IRIB state TV network reported Wednesday that it had "obtained" a draft of the "Islamabad Framework" - a memorandum of understanding taking shape with the U.S. that would see the countries agree to extend their ceasefire and reopen the Strait of Hormuz, while also launching direct negotiations on more contentious matters.

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IRIB called the version it obtained an "unofficial preliminary document outlining a 14-point draft of the agreement," which it cast as a potential step toward ending the war that was still being revised and negotiated between the two countries.

The White House laterrejected the reporting, writing, "This report from Iranian controlled media is not true and the MOU they 'released' is a complete fabrication. Nobody should believe what Iranian state media is putting out."

IRIB said the draft includes a commitment from the U.S. to lift its blockade of Iranian ports and vessels. In return, Iran would restore the flow of commercial shipping through the Persian Gulf and the Sea of Oman, through the Strait of Hormuz, to pre-war levels within one month.

IRIB said military vessels would be excluded from Iran's lifting of restrictions in the strait and that commercial traffic — including vessel inspections and the imposition of service "fees" — would remain under the authority of Iran in coordination with neighbor Oman.

"The Strait of Hormuz, between us and Oman as coastal countries, must have a defined mechanism," Esmail Baqaei, spokesman for both Iran's Foreign Ministry and its team negotiating with the U.S., told IRIB.

The IRIB report said the draft agreement included the U.S. accepting "an obligation" to withdraw American forces from the Mideast, but it noted that specifics, including whether the withdrawal would apply only to recently added forces or also long-standing troop deployments, remained subject to negotiation.

The draft envisions, per the report, that if direct talks between Iran and the U.S. yield a final agreement on a wider peace deal within the provisioned 60 days, that deal would be enshrined as a binding United Nations Security Council resolution.

The report concluded by stressing that the Islamabad Framework remained unfinalized - and noting a significant possibility that the two sides could still fail to resolve their differences on terms to even begin direct negotiations on contentious issues such as Iran's nuclear material.

State TV claims 23 more ships cleared to transit Strait of Hormuz as Iran tries to present a new normal

"Today, 23 vessels that requested permission from the IRGC Navy to pass through the Strait of Hormuz received their permits," declared a reporter on Iran's IRIB state TV network Wednesday.

"The IRGC Navy's conditions remain in place. These conditions were made clear on the first day, and continue to be valid today: no hostile country can pass its vessels through the Strait of Hormuz, but it cooperates with those who wish to respect Iranian order."

It was the latest in a series of similar reports by the same state TV reporter this week. They have all been delivered from near the Iranian coast, and clearly intended to portray a new state of play in the busy shipping lanes of the strait — which, until the U.S. and Israel launched their joint war on Iran, had always been free and open for commercial vessels.

A reporter for Iran's IRIB state TV network delivers his latest report from the country's Persian Gulf coast, May 27, 2026. / Credit: IRIB/Iranian state TV

Since the U.S. imposed its own military blockade on Iranian ports and vessels on April 13, Tehran has threatened to attack any ship that tries to transit the Strait of Hormuz without its permission. It says dozens have sought and been granted clearance this week, though the real numbers are impossible to verify as ships can mask their true locations.

Iranian officials say they are implementing a new system, in conjunction with Oman, to control shipping traffic through the strait. They say they are not imposing tolls, which the Trump administration accuses Tehran of attempting to do, but that the new system will carry costs for shippers.

U.S. Secretary of State MarcoRubio said this weekthat the strait would reopen "one way or the other," calling Iran's actions in relation to commercial traffic unlawful and "unsustainable for the world, it's unacceptable."

Iranian regime says internet access almost back to pre-war levels

Iran's national telecommunications company TCI said Wednesday that internet access across the country had "almost returned to the level" seen before it was blocked at the outset of the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran, though an official acknowledged lingering connectivity issues for some people and promised help.

Davoud Zareian, a deputy spokesperson with TCI,said"in case of disruption, users should first turn their modem or router off and on," and if problems continue, he urged clients to contact the company "so that specialists can examine and resolve the issue."

Zareian said internet traffic had "grown significantly and has almost returned to the level before the outage."

In its latest update, international internet monitoring groupNetblocks said Wednesdaythat connectivity in Iran "has now been in a state of restoration for 24 hours."

"Service remains heavily filtered, with new restrictions on messaging and app stores compared to pre-January," the organization said, adding that "calls for a free and open internet transcend political divisions and should be heard."

"Welcome back #Iran!" the groupsaid in an updated Tuesday, confirming that access was being restored in the country.

Iran's intelligence ministry says U.S., Israel focusing now on soft power tactics in "full-scale hybrid war"

Iran's Ministry of Intelligence said in a long statement released Wednesday that the country has been facing a long-running "hybrid war" with the West and Israel, and warned that although military conflict may have shifted, the struggle continues through economic pressure, media influence, and internal destabilization efforts.

The statement describes the conflict as a "47-year 'full-scale hybrid war' against the heroic people of Iran," accusing the U.S., Israel and their allies of wielding sanctions, cyberattacks and political interference in a bid to weaken the Islamic Republic regime.

"Not only were the enemy's vile goals not achieved, but the false myth of the invincibility of the Western–Zionist enemy was invalidated," declared the ministry in its statement.

It said Iran's adversaries were currently focused on exerting soft power, listing efforts such as "intensification of economic pressure," "ethnic and religious provocations," and "various cyberattacks."

It concluded by saying any hostile actions would draw a firm response, warning specifically that any attempts to foment domestic unrest or carry out espionage or sabotage would be "pursued with maximum precision and decisiveness by the country's powerful intelligence community."

Israeli military says it hit more than 150 Hezbollah "infrastructure sites and terrorists" in Lebanon in 24 hours

The Israel Defense Forces claimed in a brief statement Wednesday to have struck "more than 150 Hezbollah infrastructure sites and terrorists" in attacks on the Iranian-backed group Hezbollah in Lebanon over the last day.

The IDF said the strikes were in and around the southern Lebanese cities of Tyre and Nabatieh and in the Beqaa Valley area.

Lebanese officials say the attacks killed more than 30 people, with children among those pulled from the rubble of buildings in the cities. Lebanon's health ministry says that since Israel and Hezbollah started fighting at the beginning of the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran, more than 3,200 people have been killed and almost 10,000 wounded in the country.

Earlier Wednesday, IDF spokesman Avichay Adraeeissued a warning via social mediato residents of Nabatieh — a city home to roughly 25,000 people — to flee their homes and evacuate about a mile northward, across the Zahrani River, ahead of planned strikes.

"In light of the terrorist Hezbollah's violation of the ceasefire agreement, the Israel Defense Forces are forced to act against it with force," Adraee said, repeating language he has used in daily evacuation orders for Lebanese towns and villages.

Smoke billows following an Israeli strike on the area of the Rawdat al-Salihin Mosque and the nearby cemetery in the southern city of Nabatieh, Lebanon, May 26, 2026. / Credit: Abbas Fakih/AFP/Getty

"The IDF does not intend to harm you. For your safety, you must evacuate your homes immediately and move to the north of the Zahrani River," said the IDF spokesman. "We emphasize that anyone who is present near Hezbollah members, its facilities, and its combat means is putting their life in danger!"

Iranian official says highly enriched uranium "not on the agenda of the negotiations" with U.S.

Speaking on the sidelines of a security forum in Russia's capital, the Deputy Secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, Ali Bagheri Kani, said indirect negotiations with Washington continued, but he renewed the regime's insistence that the issue of its enriched uranium stockpile wasn't yet on the agenda.

"This issue is not on the agenda of the negotiations," he said when asked about the roughly 900 pounds of highly enriched uranium that international monitors believe is still buried under one of Iran's badly damaged nuclear facilities, according to Russian news agency TASS.

PresidentTrump had previously claimedIran was ready to hand what he refers to as its "nuclear dust" over to the U.S., but on Mondayhe saidthe regime could dispose of its highly-enriched uranium inside the country, or "at another acceptable location."

A senior Trump administration officialsaid over the weekend that Iran had agreed in principleto dispose of its highly-enriched uranium during the negotiations but that officials were still working through details of a mechanism for its disposal.

Iran Revolutionary Guard official says possibility of renewed war with U.S. is low

An official with Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said Wednesday that a renewal of the war with the United States was unlikely, but he warned that Iran stood ready to defend itself against any new attack.

"The possibility of war is low because of the enemy's weakness; the armed forces are lying in wait with full magazines," Mohammad Akbarzadeh, the deputy political chief of the IRGC's naval force, was quoted as saying by the semi-official Tasnim news agency, which is linked with the guard.

"Do not doubt that we will turn the area from Chabahar to Mahshahr into a graveyard for aggressors," he said, referring to locations at either end of Iran's lengthy southern coast in the Persian Gulf.

Trump to convene Cabinet as he looks to seal a deal that some backers worry will embolden Iran

President Trump willmeet with his Cabinet on Wednesdayat a precarious moment for talks aimed at ending the war with Iran, just days after insisting his administration and Tehran had "largely negotiated" a settlement but with the negotiations still in a state of flux.

As he prepares to huddle with his top aides, Mr. Trump is projecting confidence that he's closing in on a deal that will reopen the Strait of Hormuz and provide him a credible argument that Iran's nuclear capability has been diminished enough to declare victory, winding down a conflict that's been politically unpopular for Republicans.

But as things stand, he also risks finding closure to his war of choice comes with an unsatisfactory ending.

The emerging deal puts off many critical issues to be resolved later and has already exposed the president to fierce criticism — even from some of his own supporters — that Iran's hardline leaders will emerge from the conflict battered but emboldened. It all comes to a head just as the midterm elections to determine control of Congress come into focus and as Republicans worry that rising costs and fuel prices are darkening the American electorate's mood.

Talks were further complicated after U.S. forces carried out what the Pentagon called "defensive" strikes on missile launch sites and mine-laying boats in southern Iran on Monday. The U.S. said it acted with "restraint" in light of the weekslong ceasefire, while Iran decried the action as a sign of "bad faith and unreliability."

Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Tuesday that talks with Iran on reopening the strait and extending the ceasefire — a period that the administration says could be used to hash out the finer details of a nuclear agreement — will take several more days. "He's either going to make a good deal or no deal," Rubio told reporters.

India says Iran released 10 sailors detained since July

Ten Indian sailors, detained in Iran in July on an oil tanker, have been released after "sustained diplomatic engagement," India's shipping authorities said late Tuesday.

The sailors on the MV Harbour Phoenix were "detained, arrested and imprisoned in Iran following the vessel's interception near Jask Port in July 2025," India's Directorate General of Shipping said in a statement.

"The seafarers have now been released and reunited safely," the shipping authority said. "…Necessary arrangements are being coordinated for the earliest return of the crew members to India."

New Delhi and Tehran have long-standing diplomatic and energy ties, but India also balances that with close links to the United States and Israel.

Iranian forces regularly announce the interception of ships it says are illegally transporting fuel in the Gulf.

India has pursued a policy of quiet diplomacy and minimal public comment during negotiations for the release of the sailors. It did not give further details on the reason for their arrest or about the vessel, which ship tracking sites list as a Palau-flagged oil products tanker.

India has one of the world's largest merchant navy workforces, with thousands of Indian sailors operating in Gulf shipping lanes.

Lebanon says 31 killed, 40 wounded in Israeli strikes

Lebanon said Israeli strikes on the country's south killed 31 people on Tuesday, as Israel said it was intensifying attacks despite a fragile truce in its war with the militant group Hezbollah, an Iranian proxy.

Hezbollah, meanwhile, said it faced Israeli troops entering the southern town of Zawtar al-Sharqiyah, as the Israeli military said it was expanding its ground operations.

In a statement, the Lebanese health ministry said 31 people, including at least four children and three women, were killed in attacks and 40 wounded.

Fourteen were killed in Burj al-Shamali near Tyre, five in Kawthariyat al-Riz, four in Habbush, six in Maarakeh and two in Salaa, the health ministry said.

Rescue workers remove a body from the rubble of a residential building hit the previous day by an Israeli strike near the southern town of Burj al-Shamali, on the outskirts of Tyre, May 27, 2026. / Credit: Kawnat HAJU/AFP/Getty

An Agence France-Presse correspondent in the southern city of Nabatieh reported airstrikes following an unprecedented warning on the city and saw plumes of smoke rising from various locations within it.

Lebanon's state-run National News Agency said one of the strikes hit the vicinity of a public hospital, causing "significant damage to the hospital's departments."

The Israeli military issued evacuation warnings for at least 50 southern and eastern towns and villages on Tuesday, including Nabatieh.

An Israeli military official told AFP that troops had begun operating beyond the Israel-announced "Yellow Line" in south Lebanon, which runs six miles deep inside Lebanese territory.

Iran "negotiating on fumes," Trump says, as Israel ramps up war in Lebanon

What to know about the Iran war today:President Trumpconvened his Cabineton Wednesday, where he discussed negotiations over the Iran wa...
Is Alexa down. Alexa not responding to voice commands

Alexa, are you down right now?

USA TODAY

If she doesn't say anything, you know the answer.

According to Downdetector,there were nearly 200 reports of issues with Amazon Alexa as of Tuesday evening around 6 p.m. EST.

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More than half of the issues with Alexa is with voice controls. But there were other issues as well, including others are having problems with connectivity and others are dealing with app problems.

The problem just popped up, so it could potentially be corrected quickly. But if you’re having issues, you’re not alone.

This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press:Is Alexa down right now? Amazon Alexa users finding problems: Downdetector

Is Alexa down. Alexa not responding to voice commands

Alexa, are you down right now? If she doesn't say anything, you know the answer. According to Downdetector,there were nearly...
Trump administration proposes NDAs for all federal employees to curb leaks

The Trump administration is proposing that all new and current federal employees sign non-disclosure agreements as part of its crackdown on press leaks.

CBS News

On Tuesday, the Office of Personnel Managementposted a noticein the Federal Register asking for comment on a draft NDA that federal agencies would use for "both new and existing employees."

"The form is intended to document Federal employees' acknowledgment of, and agreement to comply with, current legal obligations to safeguard non-public, confidential, or proprietary information, created or obtained through their official duties, while expressly preserving the right to make disclosures authorized by law," the notice said.

The OPM notice includes a proposed NDA that federal agencies may use if they wish. It also says that the proposed NDA "does not create new substantive restrictions on employee speech or disclosure rights" and "expressly" preserves employees' "rights to make disclosures authorized by law, including protected whistleblower disclosures."

Loyola Law School professor and CBS News legal contributor Jessica Levinson says the proposed NDA is the administration's "way of signaling 'we're serious about limiting those leaks.'" Its impact will depend on the scope, which won't be known until there's a final version of the agreement.

"If the NDA does very little more than memorialize restrictions that are already in place on federal employees, then this doesn't do much," she said. "If the NDA is an attempt to silence almost all federal employees and infringe on their First Amendment rights and their whistleblower protections, then we have a problem."

"Even though you are a federal employee — and there are certain limitations that go along with that — if you are speaking in your capacity as a private person on a matter of public concern, you still enjoy First Amendment protections, and an NDA should not limit those," Levinson said.

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The OPM cited examples of internal agency communications related to rulemaking and policy development that were disclosed without authorization. It also raised instances in which FBI and the Department of Homeland Security employees disclosed information without authorization about planned immigration enforcement actions.

For instance, the OPM's request for comment stated that the New York Times and Washington Post had received unauthorized information on theU.S. raid in Venezuelathis past January and delayed "publishing what they knew to avoid endangering U.S. troops."

But days after the raid,New York Times executive editor Joe Kahn wrote, "Contrary to some claims, however, The Times did not have verified details about the pending operation to capture Maduro or a story prepared, nor did we withhold publication at the request of the Trump administration."

He also said, "While not relevant in this case, The Times does consult with the military when there are concerns that exposure of specific operational information could risk the lives of American troops. We take those concerns seriously, and have at times delayed publication or withheld details if they might lead to direct threats to members of the military."

Representatives for the New York Times and Washington Post did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Locating leaks that the administration deems harmful to its messaging has become a priority in multiple agencies since the beginning of President Trump's second administration. In January, the FBI seized Washington Post reporter Hannah Natanson's phone, laptops, portable hard drives and Garmin watch, as part of an investigation into a government contractor who waslater indicted for allegedly disseminating classified material.

And last year,dozens of reportersturned in their access badges at the Pentagon, instead of complying with new rules imposed by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth that would leave journalists vulnerable to expulsion if they sought to report on information — classified or otherwise — that had not been approved by the secretary for release.

The American Federation of Government Employees did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Trump administration proposes NDAs for all federal employees to curb leaks

The Trump administration is proposing that all new and current federal employees sign non-disclosure agreements as part of its crackdow...
Federal court blocks Alabama plan for new congressional districts that could help Republicans

Federal judges on Tuesday blocked Alabama’s plan touse a congressional mapthat could give Republicans an advantage in a key U.S. House race in the midterm elections.

Associated Press A demonstrator holds up a sign outside the Alabama Statehouse in Montgomery, Ala., on Thursday, May, 7 2026. (AP Photo/Kim Chandler) Travis Jackson stands outside the federal courthouse on Friday, May 22, 2026, in Birmingham, Ala. after a court hearing related to redistricting litigation. (AP Photo/Kim Chandler) FILE—Rep. Terri Sewell, D-Ala., center, is surrounded by members of the Congressional Black Caucus as they speak to reporters in the wake of the Supreme Court ruling to strike down a majority Black congressional district in Louisiana, at the Capitol in Washington, Wednesday, April 29, 2026. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, File)

Election 2026 Redistricting

A three-judge panel in the state’s long-running redistricting case issued a preliminary injunction that prevents the state from switching maps, ruling that the Republican-backed plan “intentionally discriminated based on race” by including only one Black-majority district. The judges instead required Alabama to continue using a court-ordered map in place for the 2024 elections that includes two districts where Black residents compose a majority or close to it.

“Ultimately, we cannot see our way clear to requiring Alabamians to cast their votes in the 2026 elections under a districting plan tainted by intentional race-based discrimination,” the judges wrote.

The ruling is a setback for Republicans, who want to use a map for the November midterms that would give the GOP a chance to reclaim the seat now held by Democratic U.S. Rep. Shomari Figures.

Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall, a Republican, said the state will immediately appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court. He contended the judges had no basis for their decision to block what he described as a “blandly unobjectionable congressional map.”

“Know this — in my mind, it is not a matter of whether we win this case, only when,” Marshall said.

Figures said he is pleased with the ruling, adding: “This is a significant step in the right direction, but there is still a long way to go before this fight is settled.”

The court order is the latest development in the twisting legal and political saga following a U.S. Supreme Court ruling that struck down a Black-majority district in Louisiana andweakened the federal Voting Rights Act. That ruling has led Republicansin several Southern states, including Alabama, to take steps to reshape voting districts with large minority populations that have elected Democrats.

The redistricting frenzy is part of a broader push by President Donald Trump to try to hold on to Republicans’ slim House majority in the November elections.

Alabama court fight stretches back several years

The three-judge panel in 2023 ruled that a map drawn by Republican state lawmakers intentionally diluted the voting power of Black citizens. The court said the state, which is about 27% Black, should have two districts where Black voters are the majority or close to it. The court-selected map was used in 2024.

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After the Supreme Court's recent ruling in the Louisiana case, Alabama officials moved to implement the 2023 state-drawn map. The Supreme Court’s conservative majority agreed to lift the injunction that had blocked the map's use and sent the case back to the three-judge panel for reconsideration in light of the Louisiana ruling.

In the meantime, voters cast ballots in Alabama's May 11 primaries, and Republican Gov. Kay Ivey set new special primaries for Aug. 11 in four congressional districts affected by the map switch.

Upon further review, the judicial panel said there was “undisputed evidence” of intentional racial discrimination. It said the special congressional primaries should instead proceed under the previous court-approved districts.

The decision to temporarily block the map switch came after a seven-hour hearing Friday in which judges sharply questioned state lawyers about the timeline and the impact of the Louisiana ruling.

Using the same districts that had been in place for the previous election would prevent “an expensive, aggressive, and perhaps logistically impossible voter reassignment effort,” the judges wrote.

“Candidate and voter confusion is troublesome and warrants significant consideration, but we do not see that a preliminary injunction will worsen it. To the contrary, we expect a preliminary injunction to lessen it,” the judges said.

Deuel Ross, director of litigation for the NAACP Legal Defense Fund, said the court ruling “again vindicated the constitutional rights of voters in the Black Belt, and our clients look forward to voting under a fair map this fall.”

Redistricting changes affect primaries in several states

Other states also have considered adjustments to their primary elections to allow time for congressional redistricting after the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision affecting the Voting Rights Act. Louisiana’s congressional primaries, scheduled for May 16, werepostponeduntil later this summer by Republican Gov. Jeff Landry so that state lawmakers could consider a new U.S. House map that would eliminate a majority-Black district.

In South Carolina, where early voting began Tuesday for its June 9 primaries, the Republican-led Senate rejected a plan that would have thrown out the votes and instead held a new congressional primary in August under revised districts that could have improved Republicans’ chances of winning an additional seat.

Tennessee also moved quickly to enact new U.S. House districts after the Supreme Court’s ruling, carving up a Black-majority districtbased in Memphisthat had elected the state’s only Democratic representative.The new mapgives Republicans a chance to sweep all nine of the state’s seats. As part of the plan, Tennessee temporarily reopened the candidate qualifying period for its August congressional primaries, allowing new candidates to enter the race and existing ones to either switch districts or drop out.

Since Trump first urged Texas to redraw its U.S. House districts last summer, about a half-dozen Republican-led states have enacted new voting districts, though some still face legal challenges. Democrats countered with new districts in California and also expect to gain a seat from new court-imposed districts in Utah.

Federal court blocks Alabama plan for new congressional districts that could help Republicans

Federal judges on Tuesday blocked Alabama’s plan touse a congressional mapthat could give Republicans an advantage in a key U.S. House ...
Oil giant BP ousts new chairman over 'conduct' and shares slide

BP has ousted its chairman over what it called serious concerns related to “important governance standards, oversight and conduct.”

Associated Press

The departure was abrupt and unexpected, with Albert Manifold having been appointed to the position late last year.

“Albert has helped bring a welcome focus and pace to BP’s transformation," Amanda Blanc, senior independent director, said in a statement Tuesday. "However, the board has been surprised and disappointed to learn of governance oversight and conduct issues it deems unacceptable and has taken decisive action.”

BP's board named Ian Tyler as interim chair, effective immediately.

The search for a new chair is underway, BP said.

BP, based in London, is a “supermajor,” one of the five largest oil production and exploration companies in the world by when measured by revenue and profit.

The company maintains operations in about 60 countries.

Manifold, who had been the top executive at the global building materials company CRH, based in Dublin, for 10 years, became the chair at BP in October.

Last year there were media reports that British oil giantShellwas in talks to buy rival BP. Shell denied the reports at the time.

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Industry analysts have suggested that BP would be an attractive takeover target after a plan to shift its focus to renewable energy, which wasabandoned earlier last year.

The company recently did a hard reset and returned to its roots after it had shifted its focus to renewable energy in 2020. The decision has been criticized by some shareholders and environmentalists.

CEO Murray Auchincloss said last year that optimism over opportunities in renewable energy was misplaced, with the company moving “too far and too fast.”

Auchincloss stepped down in December, and the company named Meg O'Neill as his successor.

BP has alsostruggled to recoverfrom the 2010 Deepwater Horizon tragedy, one of the worst environmental disasters in U.S. history. The explosion killed 11 workers and forced the company to pay billions of dollars for environmental damage in the Gulf of Mexico.

More recently, like other oil companies, BP has struggled with falling demand in recent years.

BP’s 2025 earnings fell 16% from a year earlier to $7.49 billion as the price of Brent crude, a benchmark for international oil prices, dropped 16.9%. The company’s preferred measure of earnings is underlying replacement cost profit, which adjusts for one-time items and fluctuations in the market value of inventories. Net income plunged 86% to $55 million.

Shares of BP Plc slid 4% before the opening bell on the NYSE.

____________

Danica Kirka in London contributed to this report.

Oil giant BP ousts new chairman over 'conduct' and shares slide

BP has ousted its chairman over what it called serious concerns related to “important governance standards, oversight and conduct.” ...

 

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